The suspense finally ends as Mohan Lal Manjhi is set to make history after swearing in as the first Chief Minister of Odisha from the Bhartiya Janata Party. This comes after the end of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik faces defeat after ruling the state for 24 years. Securing victory in the Keonjhar seat by an impressive margin of approximately 87,815 votes, Mohan Charan Majhi triumphed over BJD’s Mina Majhi in the constituency.
#WATCH | BJP MLA Mohan Charan Majhi to be the new CM of Odisha. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida to be the Deputy Chief Ministers.
Party MP Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi says, “…Mohan Majhi would be the next CM. With him, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida have… pic.twitter.com/JsUE7qbM2E
— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2024
It must be noted that the BJP did govern the state in coalition with the BJD in 2000 and 2004.
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar: BJP MLA Mohan Charan Majhi to be the new CM of Odisha. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida to be the Deputy Chief Ministers.
The three leaders address the media after the announcement of their names. State BJP chief Manmohan Samal also with them. pic.twitter.com/SwBCUwpEI2
— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2024
Who Is Mohan Charan Majhi
#WATCH | BJP MLA Mohan Charan Majhi to be the new CM of Odisha.
Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida to be the Deputy Chief Ministers. pic.twitter.com/QUpORT6Aeu
— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2024
Mohan Charan Majhi, a prominent figure in the tribal community, has a rich history in Odisha politics. He initially secured a seat in the Odisha Legislative Assembly representing the Keonjhar constituency back in 2000. Over the years, he has played a significant role, representing Keonjhar twice more in 2000 and 2004, before reclaiming victory in the 2019 elections.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, Mohan Charan Majhi, running under the Bharatiya Janata Party banner, emerged victorious in Keonjhar once again, defeating Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Mina Majhi by a margin of 11,577 votes. His political journey has been marked by notable victories, including defeating Congress candidate Jagadish Naik by 22,163 votes in the 2000 elections and securing a win over Congress candidate Madhab Sardar by 11,002 votes in the 2004 polls.
The Deputy CMs?
The next Deputy Chief Ministers of Odisha will be Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida. These appointments were made during the BJP legislature party meeting, which saw the presence of Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav as observers.
With a comfortable majority of 78 seats in the 147-member Assembly, the BJP secured victory in the elections without naming a chief ministerial candidate under the leadership of Modi.
Swearing-in ceremony on this date:
The swearing-in ceremony for Odisha’s first BJP government is scheduled for June 12, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the oath-taking ceremony at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar. The BJP extended an invitation to BJD president and outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the event.
Interestingly, the first invitation card for the ceremony was presented to Lord Jagannath in Puri, delivered by some newly elected MLAs to the 12th-century shrine.
Half-day holiday declared on June 12:
In order to accommodate the swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister and council of ministers, the Odisha government announced a half-day holiday for all state government offices and courts in Bhubaneswar after 1 pm on June 12. This directive applies to all state government offices and revenue and magisterial courts (executive) within the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
